King of Me
by mafuyu hotaru
Summary: One night with the king spinoff but different. Kaoru was just your ordinary girl, but when the king is in search of a new queen, she catches his eye. Our girl, however, is not as enthusiastic as one might normally react. Read to know more.
1. Chapter 1

Ji-chan – Uncle. Typically added to the end of a person's name, or used alone, to address one as an uncle.

Irrashaimase – Welcome. When entering a restaurant, store, or any other public place of a similar sort, the employees use this expression to greet the guests.

Tatami – Straw mats. They are made from the leaves of dried rice plants, I believe. Tatami is used on the floor, kind of like carpet. You never wear shoes on them.

Ton-katsu – Fried pork. Made in a different batter than our kind of fried stuff. But very yummy, and served with a sauce kind of like soy.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_My name is Kamiya Kaoru. I am eighteen years old. I come from a once prestigious samurai clan. My home is in a small, upper middle-class district of the capital city, Kyoto. Seijuurou Hiko, my uncle, raised me after the death of my parents ten years ago. He is a defensive arms trainer at the palace, and has a position at court. Some say he trained our emperor in the sword arts. I think it is a fairy tale. I have never set eyes on the emperor, but he is said to have very strange, but beautiful, red hair. His wife, Tomoe-sama, on the other hand, I have seen. Once. She had beautiful brown hair, and a perfectly oval shaped face, and was dressed in full royal attire of red and gold kimono. Radiant would have to be the only word that suited her. _

_It is right to say that my life has been simple and carefree. I was even a little spoiled, spoiled enough not to notice politics anyhow. I have always had food on my plate and a roof over my head. Hiko-ji-chan even gave me some sword lessons, so that I might keep what little remained of my family's technique of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, that had been taught to me. Eventually, I was left to help out at a small restaurant that a family friend ran, as Hiko-ji-chan became busier at the palace. I figured my life would remain as uneventful as it had always been. However, it is amazing how much can change in one day… _

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Have you heard? Tomoe-sama was banished. I heard that she betrayed Emperor Himura, and not only that, her brother was involved! They tried to kill our poor king."

"Someone told me she had not come to the Emperor's bed for weeks."

Kaoru looked to the group of gossipy women, rolling her eyes, as they left the restaurant for the night, '_Stupid king. It's his own fault that something like that happened. They shouldn't pity him._' There was about half an hour left until closing. She went over to the table they had been sitting at and began to wipe it off with a wet rag. Yahiko had already cleaned off all the dishes. Somewhere to the left, she heard the door slide open. Turning around, she stood up straight, and said, "Irrashaimase!" However, her thoughts said otherwise, '_I was hoping we wouldn't have any more people to serve tonight…_'

A single man had entered; she walked towards him, "Would you like to sit at the bar or a booth, sir?" He had a hat covering his head, and he kept his head low.

"A booth. In a corner." She eyed him suspiciously. His words had been curt, '_He could at least be nice…_' His hat covering his eyes disturbed her. However, work was work, and life was not all fun and games. Kaoru quickly led him to the furthest table from the entrance, and said, "Here you go sir. I shall get you some tea." Leaving a menu on the table, she quickly headed back to the kitchen to fetch a tea tray, and to complain.

"What is it with people these days? It's as though they believe they can order me around because I'm a waitress!"

Another girl raised an eyebrow. She was cooking for the other remaining table in the restaurant, with the exception of the weird man, "That's life. Face it kid."

Giving a slight glare, Kaoru replied as she picked up the tray, "Yeah, yeah, I hear that all the time. And I'm a fully grown woman thank you."

After leaving the warm kitchen, she made her way towards her rude guest. As she arrived, she saw him set down the menu. He had not even looked to see that she was coming, when he spoke, "Set it on the table. Serve it."

'_Of all the!_' She thought, a frown written across her features. Kaoru set the tray on the table, removed her sandals, and then lowered herself onto the tatami. The girl could almost feel his scrutiny as she set the glass on the table, and lifted the tea pot to pour the hot liquid. She requested his order, and he gave it. The task completed, she began to stand, but a tight grip formed around her wrist, "Stay."

Bright blue eyes widened, "Excuse me sir, but I have a job I need to do." He looked up, and she was greeted with the fiercest eyes she had ever seen. They were amber with a touch of violet swirling within.

"And I am your guest. You are doing your job by doing what a guest requests."

She glared at him a moment with her blue eyes, not forgetting his firm grip, "You are hurting me, sir." His hand immediately let go. Kaoru sat back down, her feet tucked underneath her as she sat on the small cushion. The skirt of her kimono was clenched in her fists, and she studied her knuckles turning white, '_I better get a good tip._'

"I've a question."

Kaoru looked up at his words. He seemed to have been studying her. She looked back down. The waitress did not like him. She could not see how he reacted, but instead, she listened as he asked, "What do you think… of Tomoe-sama's banishment?" Her mouth dropped in shock. That was the least she had expected, "What sort of rumors are going around?"

She started to say one thing, but changed her mind, "Well, some of the guests have mentioned that she plotted against the emperor with her brother. That she tried to kill him," Kaoru glanced at him. His attention was focused on her, "And umm… that she… well…"

"Go on. Tell me."

Kaoru's face turned red, "That she had not been with him in weeks." The man chuckled a few moments. He then said, "And what do you, miss, think about all of it?" Suspicion began to grow in Kaoru's mind, so she merely said, "I think that we need a queen, and it's the emperor's own fault for not keeping her under control. Oh well, what the king does with his queen is none of my concern. He did what he felt he must do. If you will excuse me, I must place your order." Before he could say another word, she slipped her sandals on and returned to the kitchen. The last table had just been served their food as she entered.

"Can I get an order of the ton-katsu dish?"

The same cook from before smirked, "It took you five minutes to make an order?"

"Shut it," Kaoru joked, "I'm gonna go start closing. I don't want any more weird guests popping up tonight." The waitress walked as far away from the mysterious man on her way to the front. She noticed the last group of guests leaving, as she went outside and took down the restaurant banner. Bringing it inside, she set it down in the corner, and then shut the rice paper doors. Next she began to give all the tables a final wipe-down, not looking at the final customer. Kaoru spotted the young Yahiko leaving the kitchen, "I'm leaving busu."

The girl cringed when he shouted the nickname across the room. That was all she needed. At least Yahiko had not been dumb enough to say her name. Finally stealing a glance at hat boy, she saw the point of his straw hat over the edge of the booth. Sighing, she returned to the kitchen. The ton-katsu was already done. Grabbing the meal, she sighed again, and went back to the table.

"Ton-katsu, miso soup, rice, and cabbage. Enjoy."

"Miss," He said as she began to leave. She cringed inwardly, but turned with a smile on her face anyway, "Yes?"

"I'd like to continue our conversation," She watched him elegantly pick up his chopsticks and pick up a piece of the tonkatsu with a refined air. As he chewed, she said, "I thought all you wanted was a question answered. That would not necessarily be a conversation now would it, sir?"

He swallowed and looked up at her, while gesturing for her to sit, "You're quite smart. I like that." She blushed, "From your earlier statement, it seems the emperor is not highly thought of in your mind?"

She nearly laughed, "Forgive me sir, for not thinking highly of our 'so precious' ruler, our 'poor king.' I think he should be just as concerned about the people, as he is about his safety."

"Well, he provides the people with decent taxes, and there is a very low poverty rate. I'd say he is concerned about the people." He said, after taking another bite of his meal.

Sighing, she said, "I am not speaking of the present, necessarily. When that man was first put on the throne, an order to kill off as many of the samurai as possible was issued, and actually carried out. I don't like that he would kill off a bunch of people, based on the fact that they are fighters. And not just the men were killed either, many women and children were. Especially when his own military and apparently he himself, are all trained to use the swords just as well as the samurai were. I can't love a king who would kill hundreds of innocent people." A film of tears lined her eyes, and she said, "Excuse me sir. Your bill will be taken care of when your meal is done."

Before another word was said, Kaoru was away from the table, and in the kitchen, "Can you take care of the last guest, please?" The girl's sapphire eyes looked desperate, and the cook simply nodded, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Thank you so much!" Kaoru ran up and hugged her, and quickly removed her own apron, and then headed for the front door, without even glancing at the strange guest whose eyes were the creepiest, but most beautiful as well.

Sliding the door shut behind her, she sighed, "Thank goodness I'm out of there. I don't know how much I could have put up with his weird questioning…" She murmured. Beginning to head home, she looked up at the dark sky. There were many stars out, twinkling brightly with the crescent moon. She had been thinking, when suddenly, she gasped, "Oh my god! What if he were sent from the palace to find people who were committing treason? Is what I said treason?" The girl leaned up against a fence, so that she could think, "What if that means he'll come after me?"

Shaking her head, Kaoru firmly told herself, "No, Kamiya Kaoru, there's no way anyone from the palace would even care to go to our restaurant. And even if he was from the palace, I have Hiko-ji-chan to back me up… and… and…" She could not think of anything else, so the girl just continued on her way home.

--

"Hiko, I think I have a solution to the issue of having a queen." A man was sitting on a porch, his clothed leg the only visible part of his body, along with a strong hand draped over his knee.

Hiko was sitting on a tatami mat inside the open door, "And what might that be, my king?"

The person moved, "Last night, I went into the city to find out some things and a young woman intrigued me with something. She said that our country needs a queen, but it was my own fault that I couldn't handle our previous one."

A lock of red hair blew in the wind. Hiko looked up, shock written across his features, "You allowed someone to speak to you in such a manner?"

"The woman did not know it was me." A smile rose to the corners of the lips of the man, who looked the part of any Japanese man, except for his hair and eyes.

There was silence for several moments, when Hiko finally asked, "And what, my king, does that have anything to do with solving the issue?"

"Well, she then went on to say that I should be concerned with not only myself and safety, but with the people and their wishes. She brought up the past. This, in my opinion, makes me think she was very smart… and so, I have decided, I want her as my queen."

Hiko was thinking very hard. The emperor could not be talking about his Kaoru could he? Yes, the girl had mentioned something about a guest had bugged her about politics the previous night. And she was smart…, "Do you know anything of her, my lord? Her name? Where she comes from? Are you sure it is wise to choose a decision on a queen after one meeting?"

The emperor popped his head around the corner, his red hair pulled up high, and his golden eyes swirling with purple, "I don't know her name, but she has blue eyes. And I think it would be a very good decision; any woman who would give her opinions, such as she did, can be nothing but intelligent," He paused to let the information process, "And she can serve tea beautifully. I want her." His eyes were passionate.

The man still sitting had paled slightly, '_Kaoru… It can't be her…_'

"And I am going to have her… but not so quickly," The king looked at Hiko, whose expression was unreadable, but pale, "Is that going to be a problem sensei?"

"No, king." He bowed low to the ground and then said as he stood, "Just, king, if she is as smart as you say she is, then be prepared for a strong fight from her."

"Oh, I am quite ready for that… she's already shown her spirit. I will visit her a few more times at the restaurant she worked at, the Sakura, and then have her sent for."

'_Kaoru…_'

--

Hey guys, when I watched One Night With The King (very good movie by the way), I was inspired to create a spin-off of sorts for Kenshin. It won't be exactly the same, since Japan obviously has very few Jewish people. So this is my Japan/Kenshin version, filled with more spunk, romance, and comedy, as well as a little drama. Let me know what you think! (next chapter will be longer. This is a preparation chapter for you.)

Hotaru


	2. Chapter 2

Yakitori - Grilled chicken. Usually on a stick.

--

Kaoru hummed softly to herself as she was hanging the last of the day's laundry on the line. Once the task was completed she would make lunch for her uncle and then head off for her job. Distraction was what she was creating for herself. She had not thought too much about the man from yesterday since she had awoken. Kaoru had made breakfast and then she'd spent an hour practicing her sword skills.

Straitening out her last item of clothing, she grabbed the empty clothes basket from the ground, and then set it down on the wooden porch on her way inside. Pausing at the doorway, she turned to survey the area. Kaoru saw her own home, surrounded by a low fence. The wind blew some dust from the street in front of her. In the distance, she noted the busy streets and then the Imperial Palace not too far off.

With a huge sigh of distaste, she turned and then went into the kitchen. She began to make the meal that would be left for her only relative. Kaoru never liked to be around him when he ate her food, because he would always complain about one thing or the other being burnt or not cooked enough.

'Hmm… I wonder if anything interesting will be happening today,' the young girl thought to herself. She headed towards her room as she laid out her uncle's meal. Sliding open the thin paper door, she entered, and quickly went about changing into more feminine garments. The pale blue of the soft material that made up the yukata brought out the blue of her eyes. Kaoru fixed her hair into a neat ponytail and then left the house, with a few coins.

As she shut the gate and began her walk to the Sakura, she saw her uncle on his way home, "Hiko-ji-chan!" The tall man looked up to see her and smiled gently.

"Well if it isn't my lovely niece." Kaoru had to arch her neck to look up into his dark eyes. He raised one of his large hands and patted her on the head, "On your way to the restaurant I see. Independent as always."

"Of course Ji-chan," She cheerfully responded, "Oh, your lunch is ready for you to eat."

"I'm sure I'll love it," He sarcastically replied. Before anything else could be said, he continued, "Now Kaoru-chan, there is this…"

Kaoru cut him off, "Sorry Ji-chan, but I have to go. I'm going to be late for work!" She reached up on her toes, and kissed him on the cheek, and then rushed off as fast as her yukata would allow her.

--

"Kaoru-san!!" One of the women in the kitchen shouted. The waitress had just finished taking an order when someone had called for her. Bowing to her guests, she hurried to the back of the restaurant to see what the complaints were all about.

"Someone dropped in to see you," The cook jabbed a finger in the direction of the back door. Kaoru squealed when she saw it was her good friend Misao.

"Misao-chan!" Kaoru squealed in excitement as she rushed to hug her friend, "It's been such a long time." Misao was a member of a group that guarded the palace. However, the girls had somehow managed to get time to spend with one another as they grew up. Hiko had introduced them to each other.

The younger girl hugged her in turn and said, "No kidding Kao! Guess what though, there is this private festival going on near the palace. Wanna go?"

There was a twinkle of excitement in Misao's eyes and Kaoru was nodding in agreement, "Yes of course! I just need to finish this last table. I'm sure the boss will let me leave early."

What Kaoru did not realize, was that someone was listening in the shadows outside. As she continued to go about her work, Misao stuck her head outside for some fresh air and whispered, "She is coming my King. Although, I don't like that you had to use me. She is my close friend you know." Without another word, Misao poked back into the restaurant to see Kaoru grabbing a wrap. It was autumn, and the nights were beginning to be cool again.

The two friends then linked arms and left the restaurant, as the dark shadow took off in the other direction, to go attend his festival.

--

Hiko was worried. As he kept his watch of the festival, he thought back to another conversation that he had had with his king that morning.

"_I want to see her again. However, I have rethought my plan, and decided that a different environment might do. If I show at the restaurant, she will become suspicious, if she is as smart as I think she is." Red hair lay across the king's shoulders, as he had woken not long ago, and was still in his quarters, "Hiko, what do you think of a festival? In honor of Japan renewed? The traitor queen is gone, and the people should be given new hope of a better one to come."_

_Hiko stared at the man in front of him. Although it was not obvious, the elder knew that it pained his king to speak of the woman, "A festival king? I think that is a good choice for the better of our people. But, pardon my asking, how do you intend to meet this girl? She could be anywhere in the masses."_

"_Don't worry. I have it all planned out."_

The sound of drums brought Hiko out of his thoughts. Everyone in the area knelt to the ground, their heads touching their fingertips, as the great emperor king entered. Kenshin surveyed the scene, satisfaction running through his head, "Rise my people. Do not kneel anymore this night. Enjoy yourself in the festivities." With his short speech said, the man then entered a covered area, and sat down on a rich cushion and again looked around him. Children ran about, trying to catch fish or win a charm. Women flirted with the young men attending. And the king smiled to himself, as he awaited the signal of Kaoru-chan's arrival.

--

As Kaoru and Misao made their way to the palace, Kaoru stated, "So I'll finally get to see the oh so great king of Japan."

Misao looked nervously towards her friend. She knew that Kaoru was not much of a supporter, "Kao-chan, if you say it that way, you could get in trouble."

Kaoru gave Misao a glance with her blue eyes, "Well he's the reason my parents died and that I nearly lost my life."

They got closer to the palace, and Misao said, "Just know this, don't be shouting out such things when you're in the palace walls."

"I know, I know. It's not like I haven't been there before. Hiko-ji-chan took me a few times when I was a kid. How else would I have met you."

Misao smiled and nodded, "Yup! How bout we enjoy ourselves and forget our worries. I'm off duty anyway."

The girls finished the short walk to the palace. The guards, recognizing Misao, let them in without any question. Kaoru gazed in excitement at the beauty of the festival. She had never seen a festival with so many lights and colors. It was definitely not small. Kaoru figured everyone who lived in the palace was in attendance.

"I wonder if my uncle is here. He's gotta be," Kaoru murmured to herself.

Misao then said, "Hey Kao-chan, why don't you wait here a minute. I'm going to go get us some yakitori alright?"

--

The king had soon left his position, and grabbed a hat and cloak from a hidden spot. He put on the garments, and made his way towards the location that Misao was to leave the girl. The guards had signaled him when Misao had entered with her.

_So my prize is soon to arrive. I think I may take her tonight._

He now stood behind a small booth and saw the girl standing there. She looked so fragile in the light blue yukata she wore. It was sprinkled with light red blossoms. Her hair was so long, even when it was tied up. Taking even steps towards her, he made not a sound.

Kaoru was completely oblivious to the approaching man behind her. She was preoccupied with a charm that hung from a hair pin in a booth. It was a butterfly crafted out of clear beads.

"Do you like it?"

The girl jumped at the voice behind her. Turning around, she saw the same man from the night before, "YOU!"

He simply smirked at her. It was amazing how oblivious she was to whom he was, "I asked you if you liked it."

She opened her mouth as if to say something, then shut it and nodded.

"It's yours."

The vender simply nodded. He was too shocked to say anything when the king walked up and took the pin from the booth. It seemed as though Kaoru was the only one who did not know who he was, even through the disguise. He dropped several coins on the counter, and then turned to her.

He grabbed her by the wrist, and then pulled her away from the crowds and to an isolated location. But not without a struggle.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing!?" Kaoru shouted out, just a little pissed off.

Kenshin did not let go of her as he continued to lead her away. She pulled against his grip, "Let go of me this instant! Wait 'till I tell my uncle about this! He works in the palace and will have your ass kicked right out!"

He didn't say a word as he led her on. Finally reaching the place he wanted to go, he finally let go of her, "So you have an uncle here? Interesting."

"Sure as hell I do," Kaoru's blue eyes flashed in anger. She was rubbing her wrist painfully.

He smirked, "Now that's not the kind of language a woman should be speaking with." He took a step closer to her. Kaoru took a step back. His golden eyes were piercing. She thought she saw a strand of red hair around the edges of his hat. They were in a small garden of the palace. If she remembered correctly, from her few memories, they were very close to the inner area of the palace.

"So what. It's not like I'm talking to the emperor. I'm leaving." She turned around swiftly, and began to walk away.

Kenshin was not about to let his prey escape so easily. He pulled her back by the waist, and held her close to him, "You really don't know who I am." The man then took the charm he had purchased for her, and placed it in her hair.

His voice was soft and warm against her ear. Kaoru froze at the feeling of his breath. Shaking her head to clear it she countered, "Well, I wonder why. You haven't even told me your name," And then added under her breath, "Not that I'd want to…"

"What was that?" He asked coolly. When Kaoru did not say anything, he then continued, "I am a very important person. Do you not wonder how we got so far into the palace grounds without question?"

'_Of course I was thinking that!_' She thought to herself. He used his free hand to untie his hat, and then set it down on a ledge. Turning the girl around in his arms, he was amazed at how she looked at him.

--

Kaoru had never seen hair as red as his before. She then remembered what she heard about the emperor, _"His hair is red as blood!"_

It all then dawned on her, '_Shit. I'm fucked!_'

"You don't mean to say that…" Her voice trailed off.

Giving her a knowing look, he responded, "Yes. I do. And there is something I want."

Kaoru decided that she could care less if this guy was the king. She had already insulted him openly, so adding on to her words would not do anything more to her situation, "Excuse me, king, but I'm afraid I can not follow your request." She would die before she would give herself to such an asshole.

"Oh, my pet, I believe you will," He drew her struggling form close to him again. The man dug one of his hands into her hair and then whispered, "I want you for my kingdom. And you shall be in it."

Kaoru was speechless. Gathering her thoughts, she said, "No. I wouldn't stay with someone as revolting as yourself."

She pulled out of his arms, and with surprising strength, hit him in the face. Without looking back, she made her way to the festival. Kenshin sat down on a ledge, clenching his aching nose, and laughed, "She's fun. Good thing she can't leave."

--

Kaoru made her way towards the gates, but was blocked off, "I'm sorry lady, but by reqest of our emperor, you are not allowed to leave." When they made to grab her, Kaoru landed her second punch of the night in one's face, and ran off as quickly as possible. She was in trouble either way, and she thought might as well go out with a bang.

The girl knew she couldn't return to her work. However, he still did not know where she lived. So Kaoru went home without stopping, hoping that she would not have to come across the scoundrel of a king again.

What Kaoru did not realize, was that the king would be able to find where she lived without a problem…

--

Well there's chapter two you guys. I hope you don't mind the lateness in updating. I've been very busy. I worked like crazy all summer, with 13 hour days most of the time. And then I moved to college. . So I am now a college student. I thought I had better get a chapter out because my classes start tomorrow. So that's all. I hope you liked this chapter, and please, please leave me your thoughts. I was so shocked by the way the story was received. I have had so many reviews and alerts. I love you guys!!

-Hotaru


	3. Chapter 3

NOTE

Okay, my author's note is here instead of the end. In a couple of my reviews, many of you commented on how Misao and Hiko were doing things for the emperor without any question. Yes, it is unlike their personalities, but this story takes place in an AU world, granted, but it is still Japan. Once upon a time, the emperor was regarded as a god in the eyes of his people. So that is the reason why they are acting like that. Kaoru is just being the little rebellious headstrong person she is.

That aside, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Thank you for so many reviews. I'm sorry I didn't get to reply to all of them, but I read each one. I really appreciate it. And here is chapter 3! (With a more personality friendly Kaoru I hope.)

Yukata – A lightweight kimono. Usually made out of very thin and light material.

Kamo-gawa – Translated as Kamo River. The river that runs north and south near the east side of the castle.

Tokonoma – A small alcove in traditional Japanese rooms. Usually has a scroll on the wall and a flower arrangement.

Kaoru was surprised when she turned around in her flight from the palace and saw no one following her. She was panting heavily, the obi of her yukata not helping her breathing at all. Slowing her pace down to a walk, she decided to finish making her way home, hoping her uncle would be there. Eyes opening wide, she held back a gasp of horror when she realized something, "I told the king my uncle works in the palace!" Kaoru tried to calm herself down, "It's okay, there are tons of people working there. He'd never guess which one my uncle is."

She continued reassuring herself as she walked along the Kamo-gawa, getting closer to her home. The moon lit the water of the river, catching Kaoru's eye. She saw her own reflection, and as a part of it, the hair pin the king had bought her seemed to glitter. Stopping, she lifted up a hand to touch the delicate object.

The girl had simply been admiring the thing. The emperor had not even asked her if she wanted it, which, or course, she had. He had simply paid. While she had been so angry with him for forcing her to the gardens, he had ignored the anger and placed it in her hair. Kaoru nearly sighed, but then remembered the smirk that had been playing across his face, and the glint of amusement in his amber eyes. Reaching down to the ground, she grabbed a rock and flung it into the water, breaking the reflection, and continued on home.

A gentle breeze started to blow, causing the sweat that trickled down her back to turn cold. She clutched the wrap that she had somehow managed to keep with her throughout the night's events, "I can't believe that son of a pig is our king. He thinks he can strut about and take someone as he pleases, without considering their feelings." Kaoru tried to keep the other reason for her distaste in the back of her head.

Walking away from the river bank as she neared her home, she made it up to the main road. Surprisingly, the streets were very dark and quiet, '_that's odd… it's not that late…_' Normally, there were dim lights shining through paper doors of the neighbors, and the soft complaint of children being put to bed could be heard. Tonight, however, not a single light was lit, and not a sound was made. Kaoru moved over to where the buildings lined the street, so that she would not stand out in the moonlit road.

Silently, she hoped that she was overreacting to nothing, '_Everyone's still at the festival. That's all. Everyone's there…_' However, in the back of her mind, she knew that everything she had learned from her uncle was screaming at her, '_Something's wrong._'

Running a finger along a ledge that peeped out from a wood fence, she continued walking in the shadows. She scanned the street for any signs of life. While Kaoru was doing so, she nearly tripped on something that was lying across the ground. Catching herself, the girl nearly let out a scream when she laid eyes on what she had hit.

The body of a young boy lay face down on the ground. She covered her mouth as she felt bile make its way up her throat. The acidic flavor in her mouth brought her back to reality, and she again scanned the area, '_Get out now, freak out later, get out now, freak out later,_' She said to herself, trying to keep calm. Kaoru's body was shaking. She had not seen a dead body since the death of her parents all those years before.

Her house was only two or three away, '_Get home._' She thought to herself. Kaoru tried to erase the child's lifeless body from her mind as she began shakily walking. Kaoru kept in the shadows to the best of her ability, praying that whoever had massacred her neighborhood was gone. Finally reaching the gate of her home, she clicked it open and immediately rushed to a side entrance after shutting the gate. She collapsed on the porch still shaking, '_Who did that? Who killed the boy? Is everyone dead?_'

She backed up against the wall, and slid the door open as quietly as possible. Glancing back, she was happy to see it was her uncle's room she was going to enter. Kaoru decided she would not leave until he came home. She grabbed one of his swords and held it close to her chest, so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

Kaoru jumped when she heard a noise not too far off. She was not facing the door, and when she glanced behind her, her blue eyes widened when she saw a deadly looking man grinning at her with a sick look in his eyes. Kaoru scooted back, hitting the walls of the room, the sword still clenched in her hands.

"Hello there little girl."

The red head was still rubbing his nose when he appeared almost out of nowhere at the main entrance to the palace, "Did she leave?" He asked one of the guards.

"I'm sorry, my lord," One stated, going down on his knees in a bow, "She attacked us when we said she could not leave, and ran off." The other guard had followed suit. Kenshin did not ignore the large bruise that was forming around his eyes.

"I am disappointed in you," He said coolly, "Give me your sword."

The guard looked up afraid, "My lord, please forgive me!" He placed his hands over his head in defense.

"Weak," He whispered, and then left the palace, intent on retrieving his prize. He tossed the sword on the ground, and rested his hands on the hilt of his own. The king felt as though he could smell her, taste her. He knew where she was going, and was happy with that, _'I will have to reward Misao; she did well today._'

The king wasted no time in arriving to the neighborhood that he had learned Kamiya Kaoru was living in. As soon as he made it there, he smelled blood in the air, '_This much blood… there is far too much in the air._' He continued walking on the street, when something silver caught his eye. He kept his hand clenched tightly on his sword, and walked over to the object on the ground.

It was the butterfly hair pin he had bought Kaoru that night. His eyes narrowed and seemed to turn to ice as he tucked the object into the folds of his clothes, "Whoever hurts my woman will die."

Kaoru could no longer avoid a scream. When the man came at her with a knife, she deflected with the sheath covered katana in her hands based on pure reflex. She knew she had to stand up so that she would not be at such a disadvantage. However, she did not have time to think about getting up, because the skinny fiend jabbed at her again, cutting her across the hand. Pain shot up her arm, and her grip loosened, but the pain also seemed to allow Kaoru's senses to return. Keeping her uncle's sword in its sheath, she managed to get up and make a strike aimed for the head.

The sound of wood meeting bone was loud. However, Kaoru's attacker had been caught off guard and was sent reeling to the ground. The man dropped his dagger, and gripped his head in pain. Kaoru pinned him to the ground, straddling him across the waist and placing the katana across his jugular horizontally, as if to choke him, "Did you kill them?"

Laughing a bit, the man said, "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

Kaoru asked him again, this time louder, fire blazing in her blue orbs, "Did. You. Kill. Them!" She pushed the sword's sheath harder, causing him to gag.

"Well you see, girly," He choked out. Kaoru allowed him more breathing room, "I'm not the only one. And your precious neighborhood is gonna burn to the ground tonight." The words that came out of his mouth caused her to suddenly push down really hard on his throat.

Kenshin heard a scream only one building away. He knew it was her in an instant. Before he could head to the building, someone else came across his path, holding onto a blazing torch, "Sorry mister, but this place will burn. And you'll go with it." He threw the torch through one of the windows in a nearby building. However, before he could do another thing, the emperor's sword was out and slashed through the body of his target.

Seeing the flames catch quickly onto the wooden buildings, Kenshin immediately went to where he knew Kaoru to be. He heard what sounded like a struggle going on to his left. The red head could smell her through the smoke that began filling the air as the fire traveled. Noticing an open door to the left, he saw Kaoru scramble on top of someone lying on the ground. She began shouting demands to the man on the ground, "Did you kill them?"

The man let out a choked answer, before she asked more angrily, "Did. You. Kill. Them!"

Kenshin caught the tail end of what the man said, before seeing her jam the horizontal end of her weapon hard against his throat. The king finally reached the room and saw that the room was in disarray. Blood caught his scent and he saw the cut on her hand.

Kaoru did not even notice him as she choked the man underneath her. When he finally grabbed her under the shoulders and effortlessly lifted her up, she was brought out of her rage and snapped, "He killed them!" Tears filled her eyes as she grabbed on to him, not caring who it was. The man she had been choking, with what he noticed a sheathed sword, was unconscious. He discretely snapped his head with his foot, breaking the man's neck.

"There is a fire, my pet," He whispered, looked into the night with his amber eyes, "We need to leave now."

Looking up, it seemed like Kaoru realized who it was that had come to the rescue, "You! Why don't you just kill me already? Is this your idea of revenge? All I did was insult you and hit you in the face. You didn't have to kill my whole district!"

His eyes widened in what seemed to be shock, "You think that _I_ was responsible for the death of those people? I may have killed in the past, but not without a very just reason. I would not kill over a girl. I don't know who killed them all or why, but you can guarantee that I will find out who it was that hurt you. We need to get out of here though, and discuss that later. Let's go." The king gripped Kaoru's hand and pulled her behind him as he exited the building. Kaoru wanted to pull out of the grasp, but when she saw flames rising up into the sky, she realized just how much danger she was in. She had not even noticed the smoke billowing in the air.

"Cover your face with your wrap," He directed. Kaoru did not question him and did so, "We are going to have to go through it. Your district dead ends the other way." Without another word, Kenshin led her quickly through the thick smoke. Kaoru could smell something else in the smoke, but she did not want to think of what it was. Soon enough, they were out of the smoke and at the river's edge.

Turning around Kaoru stared at where she had lived. She was only glad that none of the people who had lived there were dead already, so they did not burn to death. Glancing up at the king, she finally said, "Will you find who it was that killed them?"

The man sent her a calculating look. He was already satisfied, having killed the person who had hurt her. But she did not know that, "I will, on one condition." His golden eyes stared down at her, mirth dancing about.

"And what might the condition be, dear king," Kaoru asked mockingly.

He stepped closer and lifted up her injured hand, pressing a cloth against it, to stop the bleeding, "Come live in the palace with me," A look of horror crossed her face, but before she could say anything, he added, "You don't have to marry me right away, but when I discover whom it was that killed your friends, I would demand it."

She was speechless. It seemed as if Kaoru would never escape this king she despised. Thinking hard on it, she reasoned, '_I have nowhere to go right now… but in the amount of time it would take him to find the one in charge of killing my friends, I could figure something out to get away. Plus, it's not like I'd see him every day. He's probably going to be busy with royal stuff anyway._'

"I'll come live in your palace, on the condition that I live as far away from you as possible."

Smirking, Kenshin said, "Alright." He lifted up the cloth from her hand, and saw the bleeding had stopped. He dipped a corner into the cold river and cleaned the blood from the area, "Let's get this taken care of, my pet. Someone will eventually take care of the fire."

Noticing that the king had gone off to wherever it was he had gone, Hiko stood and decided to find him. However, before he could even proceed to do that, someone came up to him, panting heavily, "Hiko-sama, the neighborhood by Kamo-gawa is burning! Forgetting protocol, Hiko demanded, "Is anyone taking care of it? Why come to me?" He was secretly worried about Kaoru, hoping that she was still at work. The man had said nothing, and Hiko nearly wanted to hit him, "Imbecile, why waste time to find me, when you could have spread the word to get others together to get it out. Go do so immediately!"

The man stuttered a "yes" and then left quickly. Hiko was decided to leave the palace through a side entrance, to get to his neighborhood quickly. As he was rounding the corner, he saw the thing he had been dreading for the past few days. Kaoru entered the palace behind the king. She was holding something against her hand, and looked more or less angry. She seemed to notice him out of the corner of her eye, but Hiko shook his head and put a finger on his lips.

'_At least she's safe…_' He told himself. He knew the king would not actually hurt her. Hiko only feared he would hold her down and prevent her from being herself. He then left the palace, once she was gone, and went to help with the blaze that had lit up his home.

Kaoru followed the king into the palace, much to her disgust. For now, she would put up with him. The girl figured once she figured out where her uncle would be, she would ask him to help her go away. Kaoru nearly bumped into the king when he stopped at a door.

Turning to her, he said, "This is where you'll live. It is the only unoccupied room in this castle," His lips had a hint of a smile that Kaoru did not like at all, "It is the one next to my own quarters, and as far away from me that you will get."

"What do you mean this is the only unoccupied room!" Kaoru declared, "This palace is huge. I don't see how it is all occupied."

"Trust me. It is," He leaned down so that he was eye to eye with her, "So deal with it."

Sliding open the door, Kaoru was greeted with a fairly large tatami room. The sliding doors were painted gold with beautiful birds and trees painted along the walls. The tokonoma had a lovely flower arrangement sitting in front of a wall scroll.

Kenshin pushed her into the room, and walked over to the closet where her bedding would be kept, "The palace maids will take care of your bedding. For now I'm going to clean up your hand and make sure it isn't getting infected." He reached in and pulled out some cloth. Kaoru stared dumbfounded. She knew this man was being far too nice to her for him not to be up to something. She was becoming way too familiar with his smirk.

Kaoru sat down on a cushion that was on the ground, trying to think of what he was going to do. When he came back over with a dish of water that he had somehow retrieved, she looked at him with suspicious eyes. He sat down next to her, and grabbed hold of her hand, "It's not too bad." He made sure all the blood was gone, and then set about wrapping up the wound in the white cloth he had grabbed.

She was shocked at how gentle he was with her hand. His own were calloused, but not rough. Kaoru sucked in a breath when he tied it and looked up at her. She was supposed to hate him, yet his eyes drew her in. He reached into the folds of his clothes and pulled out the pin he had bought her that night, "I don't appreciate your loosing this."

He reached over to place it in her hair like he had earlier that night, but instead of pulling back like before, he gripped her shoulders, and drew her into a chaste kiss. Kaoru made to smack him, but he caught her wrist and looked her dead in the eye, "Did I not tell you that you were to be my bride?"

"That doesn't mean you can go around kissing me like a doll!" She said angrily. He was looking at her cockily and she at him angrily.

"Do I not have a right to kiss what is mine?"

"I am most certainly not yours!" She retorted. Kaoru stood up, making to leave.

He sat, an arm resting on his knee casually, "Do you not care about who killed your friends?" That made Kaoru pause for a moment, "And do you want scandalous rumors to go around when they discover I have a woman staying in my quarters? Or would you like to keep the fact you are here a secret?"

Kaoru had yet to move from the doorway, "Just because I'm king, I cannot protect your reputation. You made a promise to me, the king, and you are expected to hold up to it."

Turning around, Kaoru glared at him, "You are insufferable!" She walked past him and opened a door that allowed her a view of the gardens, "Just leave me alone."

"I don't think I can do that. You are mine."

End of chapter 3. 3189 words. So yeah. Let me know what you think, and I'll try to reply to the reviews better this time.

-Hotaru


	4. Chapter 4

The emperor left Kaoru's quarters at her request, but not without his typical smirk. Once Kaoru heard the soft slide of a door shutting, she turned around to gaze at the room, '_It really is quite lovely…_' She thought to herself. It was a fact that she could not deny. Going over to the low table, realization dawned on her, "He _kissed _me!!" Kaoru pounded her fist on the table in frustration, and proceeded to let out a yelp of pain, "Shit!" She had hit the table with her injured limb. Rubbing the wound gently, Kaoru stood up, and headed over towards the closet.

"That idiot! The nerve of him!"

Opening up the closet, she saw that there was a single sleeping garment folded up neatly. Much to Kaoru's chagrin, there were no undergarments to be seen on the shelves, "What the hell am I supposed to wear underneath it!?" She glanced at the rest of the shelves, just to make sure she had not missed anything, "Not even a kimono either. Pervert."

Kaoru huffed in annoyance, and began un-wrapping her obi, folding up the long material as neatly as she could. She quickly followed suit with her yukata, and then untied her undergarments. Grabbing the sleeping yukata, she slid her arms into the soft material. It was very silky and smooth to the touch, "At least that fool has taste in material." She tied the thin obi around her waist and then returned to the table, and sat there, amusing herself with her thoughts.

'_In order to get out of this place without being noticed… I will have to make careful plans. I'll need to make sure no one sees me when this happens… but that's nearly impossible with the guards. And I'll have to make the getaway quiet, lest the ass hole be alerted. He'll find me in less than ten minutes… Looks like I'm going to have to learn the guard schedules._´

She was brought out of her reverie by the sound of a soft knock, and a moment later, Kaoru heard the door slide open. A servant entered the room and bowed respectfully. Kaoru stared up at the woman from her seat, wide-eyed, and nodded her head in return.

"I have come to lay out your bedding, and then food will be brought. My name is Ayako." The servant's voice was soft and spoken with the utmost respect.

"Thank you," Kaoru replied. Just because she hated the king, it did not mean she had to be rude to everyone. The girl observed Ayako as she laid out the soft futon and warm blankets on one side of the room. Kaoru noted her dress, a simple, elegant kimono with a simple obi.

Turning towards Kaoru, the young girl said, "Your food is on its way." With another bow, Ayako walked out of the room backwards, and stepped out into the hallway, sliding the door shut.

"What have I got myself into!?" Kaoru shouted at herself as she lay back onto the tatami, her legs still tucked under her. Mumbling, she continued, "I can't stand to be babied all the time. She treated me like I was too delicate to do something by myself."

Sitting up again, Kaoru looked around desperately. She was getting bored. Having already changed, Kaoru knew she could not leave her quarters. Who knew what would happen if she ran into the king, with nothing but a thin sleeping yukata on. Deciding to forget any prospects of eating, Kaoru stood up, and decided to try sleeping.

Getting up from her seat, for what must have been the millionth time, in her mind, Kaoru went and began to blow out the numerous lamps that were lit throughout the room. Leaving one lit just in case, Kaoru finally slid in between the covers and the futon, and settled down comfortably, "At least the palace has nice things."

Hearing a familiar knock, Kaoru turned on her side, facing away from the door. She ignored the door sliding open, and the soft gasp that escaped the lips of whatever servant had come with a tray. Kaoru quickly learned it was two people by the sound of the fast whispers.

"What should we do? Will the emperor be angry that she did not eat?"

"I think that we should let her sleep. I'm sure she's had a long day."

"Long day? I think she would want to make it last longer. What with the king inviting her to stay. But fine, she can stay asleep."

That was all that Kaoru heard, and the two voices faded away as they walked off down the hall. Returning to lying on her back, Kaoru blew a strand of hair, which had managed to go across her face, out of her eye.

Glancing around the dimly lit room, she was at a loss, '_That ass-hole has made it impossible for me to go to sleep! I'm not tired at all!_' Sitting up, and pushing aside the covers, Kaoru leaned over and slid open the door that led to a porch. She only opened it a few inches, but it was enough for her to glance outside again, and take in the beauty of such a private garden.

It looked similar to the one the king had dragged her to earlier that night. However, it was much smaller. It was enclosed by a fence that had to be at least five-and-a-half feet tall. The only way in seemed to be from her location, and a few other doors that lined the single length of porch.

A banzai tree was growing in the center of the garden. Kaoru rested an elbow on one of her knees and rested her chin in her palm, "How am I going to be able to amuse myself if I'm not supposed to be seen here?" She questioned softly. Lifting her other hand to her hair, she toyed with the beads that dangled from the hair pin. Removing it from her hair, Kaoru stared at it. It barely glittered in the dim light.

'_I don't appreciate your loosing this._'

The king's words echoed through her head. Tossing the object aside, she settled back down into the covers, and stared off at the banzai tree, through the crack in the door, until she was finally able to drift off to sleep.

--

Having awoken as soon as light began to break the horizon, Kenshin was returning from his morning exercises. Sweat still beading on his brow and trickling down his body, he was wondering if his pet was awake yet.

The king found it boggling as to why she could not get out of his head. He found her so fascinating. He did not know if it was because of her fiery temper, or her beautiful blue eyes, but he wanted to understand why. He had already achieved one of the things he wanted from her, and that was having her moved to the palace. Next thing he needed to do, he mused, was to get her to fall for him.

'_Maybe that's what it is that I find so attractive about her… she has not even shown the slightest desire for me... when any other woman would._' The red head was met by several servants in the hall. They all bowed down to him with respect and did not dare look him in the face. He was known for his bone-chilling glares.

As he passed them, he considered going into his Kaoru's room. Before taking another step, he turned around and said, "You!"

The servants stopped and turned in fear, "Yes my king?"

"Has the girl in my quarters been taken care of this morning?"

"My- my lord, Ayako-san is seeing to her as we speak," The young girl squeaked miserably.

"That is all," He barked, and then turned and continued on his way.

Nearing his quarters, he heard the sound of women conversing. Getting closer, he realized it was Kaoru's voice, complaining about something.

"It's so tight Ayako-san! Why do I have to dress in these ridiculous clothes?! It's not like I'm the queen or anything!"

Another voice, much softer, replied in distress, "Please Kamiya-sama, don't pull at the obi! It is standard in the palace to dress one's best. You can't deny that the kimono looks lovely on you."

"Oh, puh-lease. And don't call me –sama! Kaoru is just fine. And this make-up! I'll just smudge it!"

The king had reached the door to her room, and inched it open without a sound. He peeked in to see Kaoru fussing over the folds of a beautiful kimono, while the maid addressed as Ayako hurried around her, fixing anything that Kaoru messed up. The kimono was pale beige, with a thin red lining, and white blossoms were printed on the silk. Her hair was done up in a very beautiful coiffeur, and he was pleased to see that the hair pin he bought was secured in the knots that were perfectly set.

He was brought out of his trance by another complaint, "And the length of this god-awful thing! How am I supposed to walk around in it without tripping?!"

Ayako answered, "You must walk slowly and carefully Kaoru-sama!"

"Please don't use –sama!"

"Enough!"

Both women froze at the sound of a male voice. Turning around, Kaoru and Ayako saw the king enter the room, "Maid, you are dismissed." Giving Kaoru a final look over to make sure her kimono was just so, she quickly bowed and backed her way out of the room.

Kenshin studied her pale face. Her eyes had been lined with dark paint and her lips were enhanced by a pale, pink paint. Kaoru's eyes glared at him with a fire he was becoming more than familiar with, "What, may I ask, makes you think you can enter my room without knocking?"

Laughing softly, the king stepped closer to her, and said, "Is it so wrong that a king goes where he pleases in his palace?" He ignored several choice words that were directed at him, and reached down and picked up her hand, "How is the wound?"

Kaoru continued to glare at him, and replied, "Fine, thank you." She pulled her hand away, and then began to fuss with the stiff obi around her waist. A smile tugged at his lips. Kaoru seemed to notice this and blurted, "Do you think this is funny!? You try wearing this thing."

"Oh, I've had my share of restricting clothing," He mused, "Although, probably not as unbearably tight, they were much heavier." Finally directing his words at her again, he asked, "Did you sleep well?"

"I'm shocked," Kaoru scoffed, "That someone as high and mighty as you would be asking me such a question." She crossed her arms across her chest, and turned to the side.

The king's eyes narrowed at her words, "Just because I'm king, and have done things that are not necessarily regarded as good, it doesn't mean I'm heartless." He gazed at her profile, illuminated by the soft light of day coming through the thin paper doors leading outside. He watched as she seemed to struggle with some inner conflicts, "Don't tell me what I just said is possibly changing your opinion of me?"

Kaoru turned her face towards his, and saw that he had an eyebrow raised, "What do you mean?" She looked horrified, as if she had been caught taking a treat from the kitchen before dinner. And as though to recover herself, she continued, "And I slept fine."

As though truly looking at the man for the first time that morning, she realized that he was dressed in a simple gi and hakama, and that the ends of his red bangs were clinging to his forehead, "And why must I dress so nice when you look like you just got out of bed?" Inwardly, she knew that he would not wear such things to bed, and that he would not be sweaty waking up, but the phrase fit.

"If you really wish to know, I just finished my morning training. It is something I do daily. I was on my way back to my quarters when I heard your bickering with the palace hand. I'm going to change, and then someone will fetch you for breakfast." Without another word, he turned around and left the room.

"He's so infuriating!" Kaoru shouted at the room.

Finally alone, Kaoru decided she might as well try walking in the long kimono. She placed one foot in front of the other, walking back and forth slowly. The slow pace nearly made her trip several times. The only thing saving her was her sense of balance, thanks to her uncle, "I ought to thank Ji-chan for never teaching me this stuff," She muttered.

Barely ten minutes had passed, when a knock came, drawing Kaoru out of her tedious task. It was another female servant, one she did not recognize, "You are to follow me into the next room, Kamiya-sama." Kaoru rolled her eyes at the address. She figured there was no use in arguing with the honorifics, and simply set off following the girl.

When Kaoru was ushered into another room, she was glad, '_Never in my life has it taken me so long to go down a hall!_' She had been so preoccupied, making sure she did not trip over the long material, that she did not notice much of the room. She spotted a cushion and decided that sitting might help her feel less constrained.

After carefully tucking her legs underneath her, Kaoru looked up to see the king smirking at her. Looking to the left, she saw the door being shut quietly, and the two were left alone. There was food set at the table, and the red head came forward and sat to her right. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. As he was sipping miso soup, he looked up and noticed Kaoru had not begun eating.

"You can eat you know. It's not as if I poisoned it." Kaoru stared at him with wary eyes.

"If you insist, king."

"Kenshin."

"Pardon?" Kaoru had just picked up her chopsticks and was halfway in the process of eating some rice.

Gazing at her with his golden eyes, the king repeated himself, "Kenshin. I don't like you calling me king. Whenever we are in private, you may call me Kenshin." Shifting on her knees, Kaoru merely nodded and placed the rice she had not yet eaten in her mouth.

The meal went without any disturbances, and very few words. When the two were finished, Kenshin snapped his fingers and another maid came in and took away the food.

Leaning forward, Kenshin looked at her, "I've decided that it will be known you are living here since you are my betrothed." Kaoru stared at him without moving, her blue eyes unblinking, "And since that is the case, you are free to roam about, as long as you don't leave the grounds or attempt to." He paused, and added, "And believe me, I will know if you try to leave. You made a promise, and I expect you to fulfill it."

Kaoru's thoughts were fuming, and she was so distracted that she failed to notice the king leaning even closer to her. Their faces were centimeters apart before she realized it, "What?!" She exclaimed and jumped slightly back, taking a deep breath.

"Truly beautiful," Kenshin ran a thumb across her cheek, and pulled her towards him with his other hand. He kissed her gently on the lips and held her close. Time seemed to freeze for Kaoru as the king ran his tongue along her lower lip. Her eyes open, she saw a faint bruise on his nose from when she punched him the night before. Closing her eyes, Kaoru's mind told her to pull back as the kiss deepened, but her body yearned for the physical contact.

'_Get a hold of yourself, Kaoru,_' she thought. Kaoru stopped responding to Kenshin's lips and pulled back. The king had a fierce grip on her shoulder, and it was hard for Kaoru to move quickly enough in her restricting clothes, "Stop," She whispered. Instead the king kissed her again, this time with more force. Kaoru pulled back harder this time, and slapped him across the cheek, "How dare you!" She said standing up.

Without another word, Kaoru turned around and left the room as fast as her kimono allowed her. Kenshin leaned against his elbows on the ground, his eyes wide open. He reached a hand up to touch his stinging cheek, "She sure knows how to hit hard," He mumbled and then smiled, "I think I'm beginning to like her even more."

--

Kaoru came to a stop in one of the many halls of the palace. Looking about, she knew she was lost. The palace was huge, and she was glad. Perhaps the king would not be able to find her quickly, '_Who are you fooling? The guards are all over the place._' She knew that if the king wanted her found, she would be in a matter of minutes.

Continuing her exploration, she heard voices drifting into the hall from some enclosed room. Taking a step closer, Kaoru looked left and right, and made sure no guards were around. She placed her ear up against the door she had found the source of the voices and listened.

"Matsuda-san, do you think it is safe to hold such a meeting in the palace?"

"At this hour?" The man being questioned answered, "Of course I do! No one is about in this area of the palace. Our frivolous king is probably out and about womanizing. Ever since our empress was banished he's been disappearing. Now I hear he has brought a _woman_ into the palace."

Kaoru took a sharp breath and looked left to see a door. She prayed it did not lead to anything important, and silently slid the door open and shut it behind her. The room she was in was very dark. Going right, she discovered a pair of shoji slightly ajar. Walking over there she sat down on the ground to peer into the room.

Several men were sitting around a low table, all well dressed. She must have missed some introductory words while she was moving about because they were now discussing Kenshin, "-I think that something needs to be done about him. The samurai are demanding their grounds and power back, and the king is not giving it. I feel that the time of the current emperor should come to a close. Someone new should be given the crown."

Kaoru's eyes widened at what she heard, '_There are still samurai around?_' Hope surged through her body, but then thoughts rebounded, '_They're plotting against the king! Without him, Japan would fall apart.'_

The girl struggled with her thoughts. She hated the king, but knew that he was what allowed the country to function. He had killed off her kind, but then again, the Japanese people now lived quite fairly. She was not quite sure how she should go about doing things. In the meantime, the talking continued.

"How exactly should we go about getting rid of him? We can't just try to kill the king. He's much to smart and skilled to allow himself to be killed."

Kaoru then heard the voice of Matsuda speak, "That, is where careful planning is required. We were fortunate enough to escape assassination by going with the kings orders. If we can escape being killed ourselves, then together, we should have no problem killing one king." He was the closest one to the door she hid behind, and faced away from her. Glancing down, she saw a sword by his side, '_Isn't it illegal to have weapons such as those on palace grounds?_' Kaoru thought.

Suddenly, Kaoru felt the great urge to sneeze. She lifted her hands to cover her nose and mouth, holding her breath, fighting against it. Running out of breath, Kaoru prayed the sneeze would pass. After a moment, it did, and she sighed softly.

Kaoru realized her mistake, '_I shouldn't have made any noise!_' She stood up as Matsuda did. She did not care to see what he was doing, as she backed up and made her way to the door. In the darkness, she did not see a cushion lying on the ground next to another low table, and Kaoru tripped on it. She tried to catch herself, but her sense of balance did not save herself this time. Falling Kaoru's hip made contact with the table and she hissed in pain.

The shoji slid open and light entered the room. Kaoru shielded her eyes as the silhouette of a tall man formed, "Who's there?" He stepped into the room, and Kaoru cursed herself. She attempted to stand, but her kimono was tangled about her feet, "I see you woman. Who are you?" He pointed his sword at her, "If you were a man, you would already be dead. Answer my questions and you might live."

Stopping in front of her, he crouched to her level. Kaoru backed away from him, ignoring her throbbing hip. She looked up into the man's handsome face that was studying her, "What's your name?" Kaoru looked behind him and saw that a few of the men were standing in the doorway, and then glanced back at him, "Men, I will handle her. We will continue our meeting at a further time." Without question, the men left and she heard the distinct sound of a sliding door.

By this time, Kaoru had managed to gather her knees under herself, and she was sitting now, rather than sprawled on the ground. She absentmindedly rubbed her hip. Matsuda glanced down at the action and asked, "You are not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine," Kaoru curtly answered.

"And she speaks!" He said encouragingly, and moved from his crouched position to a sitting one, sword caressed gently in his hands, "Again, I will ask you, what is your name?"

"Why should I tell you my name?

He raised an eyebrow at her words, "Because if you don't, I can think of other ways to get it out of you." He lifted his sword to make his point.

Getting the hint, Kaoru nodded, "Kamiya Kaoru."

"Kamiya?" He asked, slightly shocked, "I thought the Kamiya were dead."

"You thought wrong, sir." Kaoru said. She quickly moved forward, and made to disarm the man. Kaoru was able to get her hands on the hilt, but Matsuda grabbed her wrists.

"You're fast. You live up to your name." He said.

"You're crazy."

Matsuda continued, "May I ask what your intentions were if you had managed to get away? Would you go and run to the king telling him that someone was plotting his death?"

Kaoru let go of his hilt, "In your dreams. I can't stand the guy, he killed my family and then bribed me into coming here last night. That guy can fend for himself."

"So _you're_ the woman he brought here. Very nice, very nice indeed." Kaoru did not like the look he gave her, as he studied her carefully. Standing up, and sheathing his sword, Matsuda said, "I'm Matsuda Ryutaro."

Kaoru shifted uncomfortably, suddenly not liking the situation she was in. She did not like the king much, and did not like what he had done in the past, but she never wanted him dead, "I will let you go, if you agree to help us." Kaoru's thoughts were confirmed, "If you agree to help us achieve our goal of killing the king, I will let you go, and ensure the Kamiya name remembered. I could even secure your…" He leaned down and lifted her chin, "Future." He kissed her softly, and then released her, "You have three days to decide. If I catch wind that you've told him of a plot, you will be dead. I expect you will agree to our terms, or your future might not be so pleasant."

Matsuda turned around and left the room, his sword at his side. Kaoru, meanwhile, sat on the ground in shock, faced with a very difficult situation.

--

Hope you guys liked it! My plot is thickening. Just so you know, aside from Hiko and Misao, I'm not gonna put any other characters in, I think. Next chapter will definitely be funnier. Thank you all SOOOOO much for so many reviews, alerts, and favs. I really appreciate it. They inspire me to write. Here is the first half of the Christmas present I am giving you all. The second half is the next chapter of Flavor of Life. Again, I hope you enjoyed, and please let me know what you thought.

-Hotaru


	5. Chapter 5

"I will help you," Kaoru told Matsuda with a look of determination, mixed with fear, on her face, "If you will restore my family's name to honor and get me out of the king's stupid plot to make me queen against my will."

The two were seated facing each other in a secluded garden. The water flowing from the fountain they were near was loud enough to drown out the words she said. The samurai stared at her with a satisfied smirk on his handsome face. Kaoru stood, the deep blue kimono with a golden lining bringing out the blue in her eyes, and looked across to his dark brown ones, "What do I need to do?"

Matsuda reached his hand into the front of his gi and pulled out a folded paper, "Take a look at this. Do your job and you will be fine." With that, he pulled her tiny hand to his and placed the parchment in her palm. He used his other hand to reach behind her neck and pull her forward into a firm, hard kiss. Heat stirred within Kaoru's body, and she quickly pushed against him and simply bowed, and left. Her cheeks were flushed as she clenched the paper tightly in her grasp. As she exited the garden, a low branch brushed by her face, catching a hair pin and causing it to fall to the ground unnoticed.

After she left, Matsuda returned to his room, and called one of his guards, "Watch her. Any sign of her having second thoughts, report it to me, then we will move."

--

Returning to her quarters several hours later, she was surprised to see Kenshin waiting for her there, "Kenshin… what are you doing here?" Over the past few days she had given up on being rude to him in person, because it always resulted in unwanted attention. She kept the paper crumpled up in her hand behind her back.

He glanced up at her with his golden eyes. His cool glance unnerved her, "Well my pet, I was on my way back to the palace today and one of my guards came up to me." She paled, "He had something interesting to say, that you had met with one by the name of Matsuda in one of my gardens." Sweat trickled down her neck as he stood up and walked towards her, "And he said that the man gave you two things."

Grasping her hip, the king forced her into a kiss, and then just as abruptly pulled back, "He gave you that. And he gave you a paper." He reached for her hand that was still balled up in a fist, "Show it to me pet." His grip was strong around her wrist. Kaoru stubbornly kept her hand shut.

"I can't tell you!" She shouted at him and tried to slap him with her free hand. Kaoru's original plan had been to double cross both of them in order to keep herself alive. She was going to tell the king of the plot eventually, after reading her instructions. Bribe the king to let her go free in exchange for his life. He was not supposed to find out her involvement, "And you have spies watching me!?"

Kenshin had grabbed her other arm and pinned both hands behind her, "Of course I have people watching you! What can't you tell me!? Let me see what he gave you!" He was not quite as scary as Kaoru thought he might be. Part of it she could tell was him being pained to realize her deceit.

She stopped struggling in his grasp. The past few days had actually been very enjoyable. Kaoru could even say that she had started caring for him a bit. The fact that he had spies on her gave her good reason to ignore the feelings, "Tell me why you have people watching me and I'll show you what he gave me."

The man stepped back and looked at her fiercely, "Just because you are in the palace doesn't mean you are safe. I don't risk those that are important to me," He hesitated with what he was about to say, "And I don't like that my future wife could possibly be having an affair with the enemy." His eyes were full of pain, and Kaoru fell to her knees and glanced down at her balled up fist.

"It is not an affair…" She whispered softly. Opening her fist she fumbled with the paper, before looking up at him, "Come closer," Kaoru pulled him towards her and whispered into his ear, "You can read it, but don't say anything. I don't know what it says, but it has to do with your life." He grabbed the paper from her lap, and stood up.

Meanwhile, Kaoru's thoughts were in turmoil. She had thought he was just playing with her, wanting her for his own. However the pain in his eyes was real at her betrayal, and she felt guilty. He thought she was with Matsuda for romantic reasons, and that hurt him.

She heard him slam his fist on the table, and Kaoru looked up startled, "Kenshin?"

"This is what he would have you do!" His voice was loud, and Kaoru wasn't quite sure what to say. He handed her the paper and watched her as she read it:

'_Convince him to meet you in the garden from today a week from today. Instead of you being there, we will be. You just do your part by playing the little seducer. Burn it,_

_-Matsuda'_

"I just want to go away. I don't want to become queen simply because you want me."

Kenshin knelt beside her, and forced her to look up at him, "And you thought that by helping the enemy and getting me killed, you could accomplish that?"

Kaoru lowered her eyes, slightly ashamed, but more embarrassed at being caught, and nodded. However, instead of any rage, she heard laughter. Looking back up, the girl was shocked, "What are you laughing at? They want to kill you!"

"They could never kill me. They don't have the skills."

"But they are samurai! Of course they have the skills…"

"Little pet, you fail to realize that I am trained by the best. And that is what made me succeed in the wars of my father. Many don't know who I am in the past."

Kaoru leaned back on her heels, as she stared at him questioningly, "You fought in the war?"

He nodded, "And I was the best then, I am still the best now."

Kenshin's golden eyes sharpened when he heard the scuffle of feet not too far off. He placed a finger on her lips to silence her. The king stood and reached for one of his katana from where they stood. He also grabbed the shorter one, and handed it to Kaoru.

"Protect yourself. I am not asking you to kill anyone, but you must protect yourself." Kaoru stared at the sword in her hand and thought on his words, '_He doesn't want me to kill. He must have found out about my family's style…_' It was then that Kaoru heard the voices from outside the room, in the hall. They were small whispers, and Kaoru could not discern them.

Kenshin reached down and pulled her up to her feet, and said, "Stay behind me, most likely, this shall be a piece of cake." Nodding, Kaoru gripped the sheath of her weapon and looked at it nervously. Then, the doors were kicked forward and their beautiful gold leaf was ruined, "How kind of you to welcome us, dear King."

The red head narrowed his eyes, and drew his sword, "And what might you men be doing in my home?"

"Well, we're here to take over. You see, we were going to give you another week to enjoy your silly peaceful realm, and then kill you in cold blood, but our lovely little doll, Kaoru-san, let slip our plans."

Kaoru finally looked over Kenshin's shoulder, and realized Matsuda and about ten of his men were standing in the doorway.

"Kaoru, Kaoru, I thought you wanted your family name restored to glory? The Kamiya clan could have returned to greatness you know. Your parents were killed because they refused to conform to the new world, they left with honor."

The girl noticed the king stiffen at his words. Kaoru was speechless, and simply held her little sword. Suddenly, all the surrounding doors were opened, and not only were Matsuda's men there, but many palace guards and servants. They were all ready to fight. Before anything else could be done, Kenshin grabbed Kaoru and held her tightly, and started killing as he ran through the people.

Kaoru clenched her eyes shut, '_What's going on!? The whole palace has betrayed the king!_' She was confused. Suddenly they stopped and Kaoru saw her uncle standing in front of them, "Hiko-ji-chan!" Kaoru could hear the sounds of footsteps behind them.

"Uncle?" Kenshin asked.

"Come with me king, lady. We must escape before it's too late." Without another word and before Kaoru could even say anything, the two were placed on horses and Hiko lead them, racing, to the sea.

--

Short, I know but I needed to publish something for you guys. I'm soo sorry it took me so long to update this story. I have had one CRAZY year what with totaled cars, hand catching on fire, and money getting stolen. Oh, and college too. But here is a special treat for you guys, and the next installation will be out very soon. My holiday starts on Monday. And the next part will be longer. I know where the story is going now, and how I want it to end. It should only be a few more chapters long. But I hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless of length. Thank you so much for past reviews and adds as favs etc. I love you guys!


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